LinuxQuestions.org - Application access to networked home folders

Home folders are samba shares with ldap authentication, on QNAP NAS.

Client PCs are Linux Mint 12 with Mate desktop.
Login and user access to home folders is successful. Authentication is handled by with pam_ldapd set up in accordance with these instructions http://arthurdejong.org/nss-pam-ldapd/setup

Home shares are mounted with pam_mount to /home/$USER. Users are able to create, read and delete folders in their home folders and they own everything correctly, including hidden dot files.

The problem is that some applications are behaving strangely, as if they not properly accessing user home folders.

pulseaudio is not able to create ~/.pulse

Code:

 ~ $ pulseaudio -C

E: [pulseaudio] core-util.c: Failed to create secure directory: Permission denied

Strangely, if ~/.pulse is created manually, pulseaudio still throws up the error and the ~/.pulse directory is deleted.

chromium-browser fails completely

Code:

~ $ chromium-browser 

[2971:2994:0228/224633:ERROR:nss_util.cc(477)] Error initializing NSS with a persistent database (sql:/home/testuser/.pki/nssdb): NSS error code: -8187

[2971:2971:0228/224633:ERROR:process_singleton_linux.cc(263)] Failed to create /home/testuser/.config/chromium/SingletonLock: Operation not supported

[2971:2971:0228/224633:ERROR:chrome_browser_main.cc(1093)] Failed to create a ProcessSingleton for your profile directory. This means that running multiple instances would start multiple browser processes rather than opening a new window in the existing process. Aborting now to avoid profile corruption.

firefox will run and use it's profile, but is unable to save or download linked files.

Of course none of this behaviour occurs for a local login. The same /etc/skel is used for both local and networked users so they start out with the same config settings. I have tried tweaking pam settings but I am a bit out of my depth there, even after reading man pages and tutorials.

FYI this is at a community radio station where I am one of the volunteer techies. Any help with this problem would be appreciated.